AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I wouldn’t exactly call it great terms and Dereck and I are still not together.” She pushed out her butt and stared at it in the mirror. “But he’s actually talking to me now, so it’s a start.”
“I wish you the best.” Bailey paused and went into a low tone. “Uh, Alina. I hate to disturb you when you’re going through a crisis, but don’t forget, I need that final painting for the exhibition.”
“Don’t worry, Bailey,” Alina reassured her friend. “Once I return to New York, I will work on it tirelessly until it is finished.”
“Any idea when that will be?” Bailey asked and Alina pictured her grinding her teeth. “I’m a bit concerned that you haven’t started yet.”
“A day or two.” Alina went back to the vanity area and tossed her lipstick and compact into the small purse she intended to use for the night. “Hopefully, I will get a chance to speak to him tonight. Don’t worry about Dereck and me or the exhibition. Everything will take care of itself, so just take care of yourself.”
Alina ended the conversation with Bailey just as she heard a knock on the door.
“Up for a little pre-party drink?” Taylor asked, producing a bottle of red wine.
Alina opened the door wider so her friend could walk in. “I’m always up for wine.”
“Great, because I was worried that I might have to finish this entire bottle by myself,” Taylor joked. She wore a cropped halter crystal top with a floor-length white skirt that emphasized all her curves. Her hair was loose and flowing in relaxed waves, resting gently on her back. She wore small gold studs and gold heels that no one would see.
Taylor took a mouthful of wine directly out of the bottle and handed the bottle to Alina.
“You know, this reminds me of that wine-tasting party I brought you to for your birthday,” Alina said before drinking from the bottle.
“Where everyone was spitting the wine in buckets on the table?” Taylor said, taking the bottle back from Alina.
“Yeah. And where we got thrown out for procuring a bottle of wine and drinking it in the office,” Alina said as both women laughed.
“We were so drunk that night,” Taylor boasted. “I could barely walk.”
Alina took the bottle of wine from Taylor and placed it on the table. “Now that I think about it, it’s probably not a good idea to start drinking now.”
Taylor sighed. “You’re probably right.”
Both women sat on the bed until Alina broke the silence.
“I’m sorry Taylor.” She breathed out heavily. “I shouldn’t have said those things to you. I was upset, and I took it out on you, and that wasn’t fair.”
Taylor looked at her friend and placed her hand over hers. “Well, we both said some things we shouldn’t have, so let’s just forget about the entire thing, okay?”
Alina smiled at her friend. “Sure. And thank you for going to Dereck. You didn’t have to do that, especially after the way I acted.”
“What are friends for?” Taylor nudged Alina. “I always have your back. So don’t you forget it.”
Just then Alina’s hotel room phone rang. It was the front desk informing her that her driver was there.
“We’ll be right there,” Alina told the receptionist. Then to her friend, she said, “Come on bestie. Let’s go crash another party.”
18
Dereck
Dressed in dark crisp pants paired with a light blue blazer, he made his way towards his parents, who spoke in hushed voices. He opted out of the tie for the night’s function, preferring to leave the first two buttons of his shirt loose. Underneath his blazer was a matching waistcoat that was also left partially unbuttoned. Usually rugged, tonight Dereck’s facial hair was neatly groomed and his shoes well shined.
“This is your party. Why are you two hiding away in this room?” Dereck greeted his father with a hearty handshake and his mother with a kiss on the cheek.
“I wanted some time alone with your father before our guests arrive,” his mother smiled as she brushed her husband’s cheeks. Dereck’s father looked at her with parted lips and a soft expression, causing Dereck to scoff.
“Thirty-five years and you two aren’t sick of each other yet?” Dereck complained but secretly admired his parents’ affection for each other. They were as much in love now as they were when he was a child. If only he could find someone as compatible to spend the rest of his life with.
“I could never get sick of this woman,” Dereck’s father spoke up before kissing his wife on the lips. The two remained fixed in position for a while until Dereck interrupted them.
